Tea industry sceptical on land transfer to GTA

As the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) grapples with a fund crunch, the tea industry in Darjeeling is apprehensive of a hike in rent on leased land if gardens get transferred to the jurisdiction of the GTA.

| TNN | Updated: Dec 2, 2012, 00:43 IST

DARJEELING: As the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) grapples with a fund crunch, the tea industry in Darjeeling is apprehensive of a hike in rent on leased land if gardens get transferred to the jurisdiction of the GTA. However, GTA Sabha executive member Roshan Giri said a decision was yet to be taken in this regard.
With the newly formed Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) facing the problem of generating resources, the tea industry in Darjeeling is apprehensive of a hike in the rate of rent on leased land when gardens will be transferred to the jurisdiction of the GTA. Though the industry has kept its fingers crossed, GTA Sabha executive member Roshan Giri said a decision was yet to be taken in this regard.

Since the gardens were lessees of land from the state government, they had to pay a rent to the government on leased land, sources explained. The 'tauji' department under the district magistrate's office, which deals with tea garden land, will, however, now be transferred to the GTA, according to terms of the memorandum of settlement between the GJM and the government.

Since the formation of the GTA, tea gardens were facing few other problems, the source said. Announcements were made on setting up of new schools, colleges and universities in the hills and tea garden lands had been earmarked for them. "There is hardly any free land available in the hills and so these will have to be set up on garden land," an industry representative said.

Besides the problem of changing the authorized land use pattern to set up such institutes on garden land, it would put an already problem-ridden industry in further difficulty, the source said. Execution of projects under 100 days' guaranteed employment in tea garden areas was also putting gardens in difficulty as these projects involved excavation of the hill for stone, leading to land slides.

Production of Darjeeling tea had already come down to about 9 million kg a year now compared to a peak of 14 million kg at the turn of the century. Factors like global warming and low rainfall were taking their toll. Darjeeling tea was mainly dependent on high value markets in Germany, the USA and Japan, with 70% of the product being exported, but the eurozone crisis had had a heavy impact and the export market had been hit.

"At this hour of crisis, if we have to pay higher rent and garden land is encroached upon, it will be a further blow to the industry," a source said. Gardens had also to pay an education and a rural employment cess to the government.

District magistrate Soumitra Mohan, also the GTA principal secretary, however, said: questioned the grievances of the tea industry.

"The total rent collected from gardens was merely about Rs 1 crore a yearhe said. And under the employment guarantee programme, roads were being built in garden areas that would benefit gardens. Why can't the gardens ensure employment for people in their areas? Why are people asking for employment under 100 days' job programme?"he asked.

It appeared that there was still a question mark on the transfer of the 'tauji' department to the GTA, though Giri was confident it would be done. "We will get control of both land and 'tajuji'," he said.

The district magistrate, however, said: that some acts might have to be changed.

"There are some constraints of law and statute in the process of modalities of transfer."he said.

The tea industry had informally expressed reservation to the government about tea gardens being brought under the jurisdiction of the GTA, according to industry sources.

Sources said the previous Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council did not interfere with tea gardens, they being the most important source of employment in the hills. Eighty seven gardens in the hills generated nearly 55,000 direct employment and garden workers had been a most important constituency of ruling parties in the hills like the previous Gorkha National Liberation Front and the present Gorkha Janmukti Morcha. Of course, during the five-year-long agitation by the GJM, too, the tea gardens were left untouched. But Giri said the gardens had a responsibility towards welfare of the hill people and they should undertake welfare measures under the Plantation Labour act.

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